Social Value

£8 billion a year. That's what culture and public art are worth to the UK. And that's just one measure.

Social value puts a number on what an activity is worth to people's lives, not just what it costs. Social Value UK defines it as the relative importance people place on the changes they experience. The UK made this a legal requirement for public bodies in 2012.

How the figure is calculated: wellbeing valuation

Cultural engagement

museum, gallery, concert, etc.

Wellbeing change measured

self-reported life satisfaction survey

Income equivalent found

what income rise gives the same wellbeing lift

£ value

HM Treasury endorsed method

The figures, where they exist:

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£8bn / yrEstimated wellbeing value of cultural and heritage engagement to UK adults, per DCMS-commissioned research.

£260m / yrHealthcare costs avoided through regular cultural engagement among adults over 50.

£56 / person / yrIncreased work productivity linked to reduced depression from regular cultural activity.

£9,000Annual household income equivalent of the wellbeing gained from weekly cultural engagement.

£1.2bnSocial value generated by the UK's social housing sector alone in the latest reporting year.

Ixia, England's public art think tank, assesses public art against four value categories: artistic, social, environmental, and economic. Social value is one part of that picture, not the whole score.

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